---

Rhea carefully placed the egg containers on her desk, setting the items that came with it beside the metallic cylinders.

Returning downstairs, she smiled while catching sight of a grumpy Gengar on the armchair her dad had used, ears back with his typically wide smile a small downturned pout.

Sabin and Katelin were still sitting next to each other, debating on what kind of battle.

“Mmh... you want to make it a Blind Battle, huh?”  Katelin asked with a small smile.

“Those are the best kind,” Sabin snickered.  “What do you say, Singles or Doubles?”

Katelin sucked on her lower lip for a moment, folding her arms under her chest and leaning back to study the six pokéballs on her belt.

Rhea stopped at the foot of the stairs, holding her left arm across her front while smiling at Katelin.  “Oh?  I remember the last fight; didn’t Sabin’s Kangaskhan beat your Roserade?”

Her brother’s girlfriend hummed, eyes narrowing while lifting to her.  “Yeah, well, it was a bad day for Noral... and I don’t have him with me.”

“Oof,” Sabin breathed in sharply as Rhea giggled.

Katelin’s brow furrowed, glancing between them.  “What... oh, you sneaky girl!”  She smiled and glared at her.  “Now Sabin knows I don’t have him with me.”

Rhea shrugged weakly, looking away.  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.  Oh, were you two going to have a Blind Battle?” 

“Nice, Sis!”  Sabin winked, getting to his feet with a light grunt.  “What do you say, Kate?  You were all up for it a moment ago.  Not backin’ down now, right?”

Katelin’s cheeks puffed out, standing with a sigh.  “Fine, fine, but... oh, why don’t we tell my mom!”

Oh, she’s fighting back!

Sabin’s smile instantly fell.  “Eh... do we have to?”

“C’mon!”  Rhea jumped in, liking the direction.  “I’m up for an hour-long photo session.  I dressed up and everything!”

A toothy grin lifted Katelin’s lips as she nudged Sabin.  “Yeah, it’s the day before your sister’s journey!  We should take some good pictures for her to have on her journey.”

Sabin put his hands on his hips, glancing between them, both on the same wavelength.  “... You two... you know you can just call and talk to me anytime.  Photos are so out of date.”

“Hmm?”  Katelin’s left eye narrowed challengingly.  “When you don’t pick up for three days, how else am I supposed to stare into those pretty blue eyes?”

“Three days,” Sabin chuckled, “when did…”

“Try a week!”  Rhea huffed, folding her arms.

Sabin took a step back, his smile twitching.  “C’mon, Rhea, I was on Mt. Silver!  You know there’s no reception up there.”

“Proving our point!”  Katelin grinned triumphantly.  “Now, let’s get everything set up for me to stomp you into the ground!  I’ll see you out on the second battlefield in ten.”

Before Sabin could respond, she stepped forward and kissed him, pulling away with a wink before heading out.

Rhea averted her eyes for a moment, trying not to blush over feeling jealous at the attention Katelin got from her brother.  She knew it wasn’t the same, but still; Kate could shut down her brother with ease.  However, she couldn’t help but smile as Kate gave her a thumbs up and a giggle while passing by.

Right, this is a double victory!

“Aww, Kate, that’s not fair,” Sabin mumbled, watching her blue ponytail disappear behind the closing front door.  “Gah... guess I’ll need to change into something else.”

“No, you don’t,” Rhea countered, walking forward to eye her brother.  “That outfit suits you!”

“Hehe, while you girls need a new outfit for every photo?”  Sabin asked with a lifted eyebrow.

Rhea’s cheeks puffed out.  “It’s more complicated than that.”

“Oh, right, right... didn’t want to offend the presentation ceremony of picture taking,” he said with a grin.

“Better not!”  she teased, looping her hand around his arm.  “Okay, let’s go.”

Sabin let her pull him along with a forced smile.  “Let’s hope this one doesn’t last an hour... how many pictures is that to sort through?  How does a Master Trainer have that much time?”  he asked, ruefully shaking his head.

They both waved at Franky before leaving the front room, but he didn’t seem to be in the mood to return the gesture or even notice they were there.

“Oof,” Rhea winced as they shut the front door, walking through the forest village to one of the cleared out training areas.  “I haven’t seen Franky like that in a while.”

“Yeah, Pokémon near the top tend to take losses a lot harder than most,” Sabin commented.

“Dad said he’s been training pretty intently on his own, right?  I have seen him a lot less... oh, how long has it been... five months?  He’s been going off with Kyle’s Gliscor, Jasmine’s Scizor... she’s been stopping by lately,” she noticed with his questioning gaze, “and I think Tod’s Shuckle.”

“Even Tod’s Shuckle?  Huh... must just be to watch,” Sabin muttered, glancing around at the forest.

Rhea noticed the damage, too.  Leaves, sticks, and medium-sized branches had been blown off trees as if a heavy windstorm recently passed.  “I hope he doesn’t expect us to clean up all this mess,” she mumbled.

“Naw,” Sabin said with a light laugh.  “Dad’ll make sure he cleans things up, but you saw how Aunt Cynthia reacted to Dad’s question?”

“Ignoring it?”  Rhea giggled.  “She’s such a troll.”

“Well, yes, she is,” Sabin smiled, “but not that part.  Personally, I think Auntie was trying to show Franky how hard he’s worked.”

Rhea lifted an eyebrow.  “Eh... how so?  From the sounds of it, she just showed how strong Lila is.”

“True... but how many people do you think have ever seen Aunt Cynthia’s Syncro-Burst?”

“Not many.”

“Yeah, not many.  For Aunt Cynthia and her Pokémon, that’s the kind of burst evolution you use when dealing with someone like Red or Blue-level opponents.  Lila can handle most any Grandmaster’s Mega Evolution without our aunt’s help; in fact, it’d be fun for her.  The fact she used it against Dad and Franky shows how much they’ve grown.”

“Okay… then why did Dad ask her that question about not using that other Move?”

“What, Imprison?”  Sabin asked with a dark chuckle.  “Yo, Rhea, you’ll learn a lot about different Moves and how they’re used on your journey… with everything else they teach you in school, Moves are barely touched on.

“Personally, I think it’s kind of backward... Why do you focus more on learning Pokémon Natures, IVs, and EVs than Moves is beyond me.  It’s not like you can change the raw talents a Pokémon is born with, so why go so deep into IVs, ya know?”

“To better understand your Pokémon,” Rhea defended with a frown.  “Not everyone battles with Pokémon.  Battle tactics and stuff are only lightly touched on because not everyone will be a Trainer, but everyone will have Pokémon at some point.”

“Still,” Sabin shook his head, “understanding what a Pokémon can do and how Moves combine to... nevermind, maybe I’m just thinking too much like a Trainer.  The Battle Contest and Battle League have often tried pushing for more Move instruction in schools; it’s an old argument.”

“Politics,” Rhea chuckled.

“Eh... it doesn’t seem political to me, but I guess everyone has their own views,” Sabin sighed.  “I just wish I knew more before starting my journey.”

“Mmh,” Rhea smirked.  “Yeah, but how far would you have gotten if you didn’t learn all that wilderness survival stuff in school?  Pokémon training is important, but you gotta be alive to train.  Plus, how many people actually have hundreds of Pokémon besides Master Trainers?  Most people only need to learn a tiny pool of Moves for the few partners they have.”

“I guess... but still, you’ve never heard of Imprison?”

Rhea shook her head but paused after a moment.  “No... eh, maybe?  I mean, we had a light course on important Moves back when I was like eleven, but you can’t expect me to remember something that far back!  I doubt other schools even go that far, right?”

“Right... well, just remember, if a Pokémon uses Imprison on your Pokémon, then just call it.”

“Why?”

Sabin ran his free hand through his light brown hair.  “Imprison is only learned by a small percentage of Pokémon... a Psychic-type Status Move that places a seal on a Pokémon that locks them out of any Move the sealing Pokémon knows.

“It’s not like Pokémon only learn four Moves, some can use hundreds, and you must train them to know how they’re to be used.  A Trainer shouting out Moves is extremely inefficient, and televising your Pokémon’s actions is a good way to lose; even the personal connection you share can be too slow.  Pokémon battles are mostly won outside of battles; you know the human boxing competitions?

“Eh... no, what’s boxing?”  Rhea asked with a lifted eyebrow.

Sabin waved his hand dismissively.  “It’s a niche thing... humans fighting humans with their hands.”

Rhea found it hard to imagine her brother and Jason on a battlefield, throwing punches or kicks like a Hitmonchan or Hitmonlee.  “Weird... I get people punching or fighting each other when mad, but in a ring?”

“Yeah, it’s not the most popular thing... more of a Fighting-type Trainer’s hobby sport.  It’s bigger in rural areas.  Anyways…”

“Imprison?”  Rhea giggled, bringing the exciting topic back.  “So, basically, it’s a super-powerful Move that can shut down a ton of strategies you planned with your teams?”

“For the most part, yes,” Sabin replied, rubbing his left arm.  “I mean, if you’re smart, then you’ll train for that possibility, but in a Single’s Match, it’s nearly impossible to win, and if they outclass you to start, then it’s just not worth the possible damage.  Best to call it, pay the bet, and train with your extra time not visiting a Pokémon Center... you better expect to make a trip if you’re fighting an Imprison match.

“That leads us to Protect; if you know a Pokémon possibly has Imprison, you have to save your Protect at all costs for that play.  Imprison is a close-range attack and must land on your Pokémon, giving you a good chance at a counter play if you can swing it.

“Protect is just such an essential Move that you should expect almost any Trainer you meet to have it.  If that’s sealed, plus many staple TM defensive Moves, then it’s just grim.”  He glanced down at her with an impish grin.  “You can’t tell me you don’t know what Protect is?”

“Of course I do,” Rhea huffed, “it’s for defending against attacks.”

She glanced around the area, looking for any new type of Pokémon that might be hovering close to the town.  Since the small hidden village held such powerful Pokémon, their radiant energy scared away most of the evolved wild Pokémon, making many of the pre-evolved Pokémon gather around the area since it was safe.

Rhea saw sleeping Hoothoot, Pineco, Wurmple, Spinarak, and Ledyba sprinkled throughout the trees; there were plenty of berries and other food.  Scattered along the ground ran Bidoof, Buizel, Zigzagoon, Rattata, and both genders of Nidoran.

Sabin sighed.  “Protect can be used for a lot more than just defending against attacks.”

“I know,” Rhea mumbled, “you know I’ve seen a bunch of battles.  All the Masters recommend getting Protect for your first TM.  Dad said he and Franky had to use it to stop that stupid powerful Dark Pulse.”

“...Right,” Sabin sighed, eyes scanning the forest.  “Do you think any of these Pokémon could use Protect and survive that attack?”

Rhea’s lips tightened.

I didn’t think this would turn into a quiz.

“Uh... Protect defends against most attacks.”

“Not damage-dealing Z-Moves, Max Moves, and more than two dozen other Moves.  There’s also a power difference that must be taken into account.  A Pokémon and Trainer can synchronize their spiritual, physical, and mental Allocations of Fortitude, but that combined number needs to be at a certain level to defend against an attack.”

Rhea slowed as they made it to the field; they were the first to arrive.  “Wait... so Protect can fail?”

“It often does if a Pokémon doesn’t know how to control their Moves.  Moves that are learned by TMs must be practiced to master, and Protect is usually a TM-based skill.  It will get weaker the more you use it consecutively, too, and if the Pokémon fires an extremely powerful Move, like Lila’s Dark Pulse... if Franky was at the level he was a year ago, that could have killed both Dad and Franky.”

A lump dropped down Rhea’s throat.  “Wait... you’re not joking?”

“No, why do you think Blue acted the way he did?  He may have gone through a rough patch a few years ago, but he’s still one of the few Trainers in the world that can match up to Aunt Cynthia.”

He brushed back his button-up shirt to select one of his Pokémon; he activated the Great-type pokéball before tossing it up and down in his right hand with a soft frown.

“Mom said it in her letter; the moment the world finds out who you’re related to, then things will change a lot for you.  Why do you think I get so much news coverage?  It’s not because I’m just that good... well,” he smirked, “I am good, but not as good as they make me out to be.”

“News coverage,” Rhea huffed, “I rarely see you actually on the news.”

“They go over my fights that are televised, though, and compare other Trainers to me, right?”

Rhea rolled her eyes.  “Yeah, yeah, okay, but it’s not like they’re that far off; you’re a Platinum-tier Trainer for a reason... also, it’s nice to see you on the web when I can,” she mumbled, glancing away.  “I rarely get to see you anymore.”

“Heh, I guess you’re right,” he said with a light shove, making Rhea’s eyes widen while hopping to the left on one foot.

“Hey!”  She smiled, throwing her weight back to only make him take a single step to the side.  “Really, though!  For how often they talk about you, it’s shocking how little footage there is.  I’d like to see more battles, but you always ask Gyms to keep them private!”

“Aww, c’mon,” Sabin looked away with a frown, holding his hands behind his neck while pressing the pokéball against his skin.  “You know the reason for that.  Giving people the chance to look at your tactics and battle-style is a big disadvantage.”

“The Gym Leaders do it!”  Rhea shot back.

“Gym Leaders are High Masters, minimum... those guys aren’t normal,” he mumbled.  “Anyways,” his smile flashed as he stepped away to smile at her, pulling out an Ultra-type pokéball.  “You choose, which Pokémon should I fight Kate with?”

“You’re asking me?”  Rhea huffed, glancing between them with narrowed eyes.  “No, wait, are you testing me?”

“Hmm?”  He tossed the bonding devices in the air, alternating them up and down.

Rhea glared at him for a moment before saying, “Well... normally, your Great-type pokéballs have more training and experience, but I think you’ve been swapping them to Ultra Balls recently since you’ve gotten more money... give them here.”

She sighed as Sabin gladly handed the two active pokéballs to her, and she frowned while closing her eyes.  “Mmh... I can tell the left is stronger... but only by a little if we’re talking raw power.”

The world opened up again as she double-checked, which was in her hands.  “Huh... the Ultra Ball has a stronger Pokémon, but the Great-type would probably be more experienced, unless... this is a trick question!”

She could feel the tingling pressure both Pokémon released, pressing against her hands.  This had been a game she’d played with her father and brother for a while, and she’d gradually gotten sharper and sharper, but two problems started tripping her up.

If the Pokémon was too weak, then it was hard for her to accurately tell the difference since she was so accustomed to her family’s powerful Pokémon, and the other issue came from the balance that she had to calculate when her brother or father’s own energy was added to their Pokémon.

The amount of energy a Trainer could give their Pokémon varied depending on the bond they shared.  A wild Pokémon could be extremely strong and even outclass a Trainer’s Pokémon’s base strength, but a Trainer’s added boost could tip the scales.

One of the many reasons becoming a successful Trainer was so difficult was because of this phenomenon.  Only those Trainers that could sync with their Pokémon made it, and the pinnacle of those max synchronizations came with the powerful temporary evolutions.

 “What do you mean?”  Sabin asked with a cracking smile.

“...”

Rhea brought the containers closer to examine each, and a smirk brightened her glossed lips as she followed the aura each released.

“So, uh, which one?”  Sabin pushed.

“Shh... I wanna take my time... I might have changed my mind... the left might have more raw power on its own, but you’re better synchronized with the Pokémon in the Great-type pokéball!  Humph, trying to trick me,” she grinned triumphantly while tossing both back and brushing her bangs out of the way.

Sabin popped his tongue.  “Took you a bit longer than normal.  Hmm, losing your touch, Sis?”

“Tch, geez, you just toss some Pokémon at me and expect me to know how strong they are at a glance?”

He shrugged with a soft smile.  “It’ll help you a lot on your journey.  It’s harder to tell how strong a Pokémon is inside of a pokéball than when they’re standing in front of you.  I’ve met my fair share of Pokémon I had to run from.”

“Liar,” Rhea replied with a confident smirk.  “You…”  she trailed off as a gust blew across the field, catching her dress; she reflexively pressed down on it before it could gain traction, but Sabin cut in with her short break.

“There are some super-powerful Pokémon out there, and sometimes, there’s nothing you can do but retreat.  You know the mortality rate of Trainers?”

“Only like .2%,” Rhea replied with a dismissive shrug.  “Other professions are more dangerous.”

“Eh... the Bronze-tier Trainers?”

“Well, yeah,” Rhea replied, taming her hair with the increasing Gusts while watching a few Pidgey and Spearow chase each other, deciding who would claim a specific tree as a nesting spot.

“Right,” Sabin muttered with a sad shake of his head.  “It only increases the higher you go.  What’s Mt. Silver’s difficulty level?”

“Master.  That’s easy,” Rhea scoffed.  “The Rangers make sure specific listed areas are kept restricted to anyone that doesn’t have the proper credentials.”

“What if I told you Mt. Silver’s yearly mortality rate is 20%?”

Rhea’s eyes widened.  “Huh?”

“One out of every five Trainers that went to Mt. Silver died last year, and most of the time, if a Trainer dies, their Pokémon do, as well.  That doesn’t even mean they made it into the mountain’s caves either.

“I got permission to trek the outer edges of Mt. Silver, where the weakest Pokémon are, and they were terrifying.  I went there and was forced to run away from lots of Pokémon, and I was with a Rank Seven Ranger.  To put that in perspective, there are only 2,434 Rank Seven Rangers in the world, and they’re normally assigned to dangerous areas, but even he was having a difficult time calming those Pokémon.”

“I mean, I know there’s a Top Operator and Top Ranger that manage Mt. Silver, but I didn’t think it was that dangerous... 20%?”

“Yup, and that’s Master-tier Trainers and Level Eight Rangers, not counting any other deaths.  After the Pokévirus and Gigavirus swept the world,” he whispered with a shake of his head, “every wild Pokémon that reaches its max evolution grows... and they grow so fast, now, that it’s hard to manage, plus the increased strength from the Gigavirus.”

“Mhm,” Rhea’s head dropped.  “One of the things that came through the Ultra Wormholes during the Ultra War eight years ago... it made a lot of Pokémon hurt their own Trainers, too, right?  I saw it on some old news feeds.”

He motioned her to the shade at the foot of a nearby tree, and they sat down.  “Yup... it’s why Franky’s a bit bigger now than some of the old photos Dad has of him.  The Gigavirus somehow gave Pokémon a lot more energy, increasing their size, while the Pokévirus increased their growth rate, and none of the Regions could prevent it from spreading.

“Wild Pokémon grew more aggressive, attacking towns that lived peacefully with Pokémon, and they were forced to take more drastic means to survive.”

Rhea smoothed out her dress, playing with her shoes.  “Yeah, which is why we didn’t see much of a change around here when we were kids... other than more people being gone than usual, but... that was during the Ultra War when almost everyone was gone.  Franky, Koral, and Benny were way stronger than any of the Pokémon in the forest, so none of the wild Pokémon wanted to start something.”

“Yup,” he nudged her a little, causing her to look at him.  “That wasn’t always the case, you know?  Has Dad told you about when they were first starting the village?”

“No!”  Rhea’s eyes widened.  “What happened?”

“There were quite a few wild Pokémon that felt like they ruled this area... one of those was Jeffery.”

“Jeffery?  No, really... Dad’s Fearow was the big shot here, and Dad battled him and caught him?”

“No, not at first,” Sabin chuckled.  “Actually, there were three bigshots in the area when they first came.  Jeffery was the weakest one, an upcoming contender for the established bosses.  The other two were a pretty smart and wild Primeape and a Gray-flamed Rapidash.”

“Ooh, pretty,” Rhea smiled, nestling next to her brother as he told the story.  “Gray... Shiny are really rare... wait, you mean Persephanii, Janice’s Rapidash?”

“That’s right!”

“Wow... she never told us that.”

“Well, they were Master-tier Trainers back then.  Persephanii wasn’t that aggressive at first, but once she realized Dad, Janice, and Ben weren’t going to just pass through, she tried to basically burn down the whole forest!”

Rhea smirked, glancing to the left as she caught Katelin and Jason walking toward them with bright expressions.  “Yeah, sounds like her.  She burned my hand once because I got a question wrong…”

“She did the same to me,” Sabin chuckled, waving at his girlfriend, fist held tightly around one of the two balls in his hand.  “Oh, by the way, you didn’t choose which Pokémon gets to fight.”  He said with a sharp grin.

“Oh, easy, the weaker of the two.”

“Huh... I see how it is,” Sabin muttered, trying hard not to wince.  “Okay, well, we’ll see how this battle goes.  I’m pretty sure I know what Kate’ll choose.”

With Jason and Katelin still out of earshot, if whispering, she leaned in, shoulder pressing against his arm.  “Bet!  Which one?”

“Ugh,” Sabin’s lips drew in, “bet what?”

“Dinner goes to your Pokémon, whoever wins!”

“Mmh, okay, okay... I mean, it is you who’s cooking, right?”  he asked with a counter grin.

“Eh?!  Hey, what does…”

“She’ll definitely go with Fabio.  Kate’s feeling some pressure to win with her brother and mom watching.”

“Aye, what was that about my cooking?”  Rhea huffed, completely thrown-off from the original topic.  “I’ll have you know, Bianca, and I have been doing a lot of chats during her cooking crucible!”

Sabin sucked in his lips.  “Oof... RIP, Hilbert, you were a legend!”

“Hey!”

“What’s up with Champion Hilbert?”  Katelin asked, bright, innocent eyes glancing questioningly between them as Rhea glared at her older brother’s forced chuckle.

“Nothing, nothing,” he waved.

“Bianca’s been trying really hard!”

“Ah, cooking?”  Jason asked.  “Yeah, last time I was over, wasn’t she trying that Frosted Ribbon Loaf... was that the name?  Anyways, how’d it turn out?”

Rhea’s jaw snapped shut, remembering the expression on her cousin’s face after trying it and crying into a throw-pillow.

Katelin and Sabin lifted a questioning eyebrow at her silence.

“…Look, it’s just hard finding certain substitutes for ingredients in such a remote part of Unova when trying overseas recipes.”

“Ouch... that bad?”  Katelin asked with a pained look.

“Yeah, but she’s getting better, right, Rhea?”  Jason asked.  “I mean, I loved that one... what was it called, Jellied Tomato Refresher…”  he mumbled, trying to connect the words.  “Uh, yeah, that was a pretty decent one that you made with her through the call... a little strange, but it worked.  Your cousin made it, too, right?”

“Yeah, Rhea,” Sabin smiled, “how was it over in Unova?”

“Hilbert said it was good,” Rhea defended.

“Mhm, yup, I’m sure he did!”  Sabin nodded with a chuckle.  “Wait, wasn’t that around the time he got a little sick?  Hmm... he ate a strange, super thick, tomato... if you call it a drink, a drink, with some strange jelly... then gets sick…”

“You don’t know that,” Rhea huffed.  “Bianca’s in a remote area, too, so they don’t have everything you need to make unique dishes.”

“But she keeps trying!”  Katelin cheered.  “Good on her; she’ll find something that’ll work, and who knows, maybe she’ll create a new recipe all her own.”

“Yeah,” Rhea nodded, feeling oddly in sync with the girl fighting for her brother’s attention.

Katelin gets it, but all Sabin sees is Bianca as a horrible cook!  She’s made some good stuff, too…

“Remember her Alolan cha siu bao when she came over a while ago?”

“Eh,” Sabin nodded, “okay, yeah, that was pretty good once she had proper ingredients.  Umm,” his eyes darted to his girlfriend, “has Ben stocked everyone up this week?”

“Uh... yup, I had him bring back a few things yesterday when he went on the weekly Viridian run.”

Sabin chuckled.

“Hmm?”

All three of them had a questioning look.

“Oh, I’m just thinking about my cousin... how Bianca became a Master Trainer without a single flying Pokémon is beyond me.  If she had one, then she could fly out to get food, no, she could go out and catch one, but nope... maybe I should bring that up to Hilbert,” he mused.

Rhea’s cheeks bunched as she slapped his arm.  “Geez, stop picking on Bianca!”

“No, no, I’m serious,” Sabin laughed, backing up defensively.  “It’d really help her out, wouldn’t it?”

“Yeah, but... you don’t have to say it like that,” Rhea grumbled, thinking about all the times she’d cooked with Bianca through a call and all the times she’d feel like an utter failure when Rhea’s food would come out perfect with the proper ingredients.

The Gigavirus increasing Pokémon aggression only aggravated the issue of getting certain ingredients by gathering or killing most of the wild animal population.

Since Viridian had risen up over the decades to compete with a massive trade city like Saffron and Celadon with Rocket’s HQ being established there, Rhea never lacked something.  Ben made weekly runs to get whatever anyone asked, and Rhea even had the option of creating an online list that he’d pick up.

On the other hand, Bianca was in a small village high in the Twist Mountain Range with strong Pokémon surrounding it.  It was required that a Master-tier Trainer live there, or else it would be overrun, and thus, Bianca and Hilbert volunteered to make the sacrifice.  Since they’d arrived two local fast food places opened up, reassured of the area's survivability with Bianca and Hilbert present, but you could only stomach so much of the same type of food.

The most prominent sacrifice being supplies, but occasional trade agencies operated in that area for a certain time.  So, she stocked up heavily when available, but it didn’t last long with the culinary arts becoming a hobby of hers besides research.

“So, you two goin’ to battle?”  Jason asked with a bright smile.  “By the way, I got fifty credits on my sister!”

“Tch,” Rhea glared at him, “where’d you get the credits, and who are you betting against?”

Katelin giggled.  “Our uncle Jeb in Sable City.  He was on call with our mom.”

“He’s betting against his niece?”  Rhea asked with a frown.

“That’s what I said,” Jason shook his head with a shrug.

Rhea tilted her head as Katelin danced over to whisper in her ear.  “It’s just a legal way to give him a few extra funds for tomorrow; Mom’s got money on Sabin.  Just so they feel like they’re helpin’ Jason out,'' she giggled.  “They did the same thing for me.”

“Huh…”  Rhea nodded, remembering her aunt’s bet.

Jason let out a low groan.  “Aww, yo, Sis, don’t leave me out!”

“Girl talk,” Katelin winked.

“Eh, right, right, eh... okay,” Jason replied, expression telling Rhea he half wanted to know and half didn’t.

“Yeah, we’ll stay out of that one,” Sabin smiled, slowly walking away while holding his Great-type pokéball in the air, returning the other one to his belt.  “Let’s go, Katelin!  By the way, Rhea and I got a bet on dinner, and if we got ingredients... aye, I ain’t losing a good homemade meal!”

Rhea smiled.  “You do like my cooking!”

“Aye, as long as it’s not that random stuff Bianca throws together, then I’m game!”  Sabin laughed.  “Hey, don’t look down, of course, I like your cooking... it’s better than Mom’s,” he mumbled, but Rhea caught it, making her heart warm.

Katelin wasn’t having it.  “Sorry to break it to you, love, but there’s a lot of bets riding on this match.  I ain’t goin’ easy on you, even if you beg with those pretty blue eyes!”

“Oh?  You’ve said that before and broke, Kate,” Sabin snickered, causing a light blush to touch her cheeks.  She grinned and pulled off an Ultra Ball from her belt.  “Yeah, okay, Mr. Rising Star, time to work for that title, and if I win, you’ve gotta dance with me tonight.  Five songs!”

“C’mon, Kate, are you tryin’ to make me lose with that bet?  Six songs if I win!”

Katelin giggled with anticipation, and Jason walked beside her as a young woman came running through the jungle with a flushed face.

Her white summer’s dress fluttered around her feet as her bound thick blue hair bounced behind her, tied into a braid.  “Wait, wait, wait!”  she cried out, gripping a camera in her hands.  “I’m coming, I’m coming!”

“Mom,” Jason chuckled while scratching the back of his head.  “Last time I saw her, she was wearing a big T-shirt and sweats... her hair wasn’t even done.”

Rhea nodded.  “Impressive.  She had motivation, though.”

“Pictures?  I don’t know why you three are so big into it,” Jason commented, eyes following his mother darting around the field to get different angles, snapping photos like a madwoman.  “That one-time Viola stopped by; Mom was so nervous, asking so many questions about photography.”

“I recall,” Rhea giggled.

“You know, I think my dad gets a little jealous whenever Viola comes around.”

Rhea lifted an eyebrow.  “It’s only like twice a year.”

“Still true.”

Rhea nodded her head to the side.  “I guess.  Your mom does follow all of her stuff on PikaBook.”

“Alright, Mom,” Katelin cheered.  “Okay, we’re goin’ to start; get as many as you can!”

“Count on me, Honey!”  Annila replied with a toothy grin.  “Don’t worry about the field; I’ll calm things down if a fire breaks out and clean-up.  You two just dance for me!”  she said, tossing out a pokéball attached to her camera strap to reveal Reon, her Poliwrath, standing at 6' 8".

With a vigorous yell, Reon punched his fist in the air like a referee.

“Single, Sudden Death, and choose at the same time?”  Sabin asked.

“You know it, Baby!”

The intense stare they gave one another made Rhea’s stomach tighten, and after several seconds of silence, they both threw their chosen Pokémon.

They both struck the ground, releasing a 6' 10" Ampharos and a 4' 11" Mismagius; the Light Pokémon vs. the Magical Pokémon.

Katelin frowned as the two stared at each other from across the grassy field, releasing low sounds while communicating with one another.

“A Mismagius... I don’t remember you having... wait, your recent trip to Mt. Silver!  I mean, how did you get that little girl in the low-level area at Mt. Silver?”

“A hidden cave in the forest,” Sabin laughed, “was almost crushed by a Steelix just trying to get out... man, it was a rush!

“For real?  You didn’t even mention it, but still, you seriously caught that little girl only two months ago, and you want her to go up against Fabio?”

“You know she’s pretty tough, livin’ in those caves, even if it is the outer edges of Mt. Silver!”  Sabin replied with a confident grin.  “Isn’t that right, Luna?”

The Mismagius lowered her head, hiding her deep red eyes under the brim of her big black cap, chuckling softly.  The tip of her hat, flared ears, gems on her chest, and hem of her robes began glowing a light purple.

Rhea felt her stomach swim with butterflies as Luna’s energy was released; she certainly was powerful.

“Hmm, not bad,” Jason whispered.  “Although, if your brother caught it so recently, do you really think it’ll stand a chance against Fabio?”

“We will see,” Katelin’s eyes narrowed, smile widening as her choker began to glow.  “I told you, I’m not playing around.  Even if that Mismagius is strong, she’s not that synchronized with you yet.  You ready to go, Fabio?”

The Ampharos let out a loud cry, orbs radiating light as it Mega Evolved.

Rhea was a little surprised that even though Katelin’s Ampharos was her main, it was outclassed in raw power with its standard power released, which tingled Rhea’s skin with the electrically charged air, yet the ominous aura emitted from Luna clearly outclassed the bright yellow Pokémon.

A rush of electricity sparked through the air and across the ground as Katelin exercised her Fortitude, her spiritual pool feeding into her Pokémon; a thin golden aura radiated from her skin as her bound hair flowed back.

It was very rare for a Platinum-tier Trainer to Mega Evolve, which put Katelin in a high class when talked about on the news, and just as Rhea expected, the raw power of Fabio exploded, overshadowing Luna’s aura, but Sabin looked ready to go.

Jason and her backed up further to not get involved with the rush of power the two Platinum-tier Pokemon released.  The grass turned black with every spark that danced across its surface, and Fabio bent his head down as a mane of white fur exploded from his body, his skin radiating white light with his changing figure.

The three obsidian claws on his toes and fingers extended, horns following as bright crimson orbs burst into existence across his flowing hair.  The fur on his belly thickened with his limbs, and he grew to 7' 10".

Fabio released a mighty cry, striking a pose as if it were in a Contest.

Luna’s eyes were tilted in a manner that said she didn’t get the reason for the show but soon released a giggle, ghostly sleeve-like arm rising to her lips.

The Mega Ampharos held his head high, releasing a mild huff as if her remark wasn’t even worth responding to.

Sabin licked his lips.  “Alright, Annila, start the match whenever.  You know Kate can’t keep that up for long.”

“Ready, set, start!”  Annila called out with Reon mirroring her actions.

Snapping electricity exploded across Fabio’s fur, extending into a string of electrical charges that shot in a sweeping wave toward Luna, high in the air, but the ghost easily evaded the shot with shocking speed.  Her eyes and body glowed purple as she chanted.

Rhea and Jason jumped as an amused male voice spoke behind them.  “Mmh, not a bad first gamble, but that Pain Split will cause some trouble, equaling out the Ampharos’ bulk.”

They glanced back to see Blue leaning up against the tree behind them, sunglasses on while watching the battle with a soft, reminiscent smile.

Rhea wanted to know why he was there and not with her dad and aunt but didn’t want to miss out on the battle, focusing on the fight while Blue occasionally commented.

“Fabio is so slow!”  Sabin jabbed.  “You thought you could stop Luna’s speed with that Thunder Wave?  It would have basically ended the match, but she’s no stranger to broad attacks.”

“Figures,” Katelin chuckled, “but you don’t think it’ll be that easy, do you?  You know we’ve fought plenty of speed teams!”

In the time it took Fabio to cast the Thunder Wave, Luna had equalized their total energy and shot out a black ball of energy at her opponent, but just before the long-ranged attack hit; his speed increased, jumping back.

The explosion sent a flurry of dirt and wind exploding outward, forcing Rhea to hold down her dress, realizing why Katelin was rarely seen with one; of course, a lot of female Trainers still used skirts and dresses, so maybe it was just her personality.

A few more balls of energy were sent flying below, causing more gusts and three-foot deep craters in the earth, making her gulp.  Rhea’s eyes widened as several copies of the Ampharos appeared beside Fabio; she couldn’t tell which was which.

Double Team?

“Why’s my sister on the defensive?”  Jason asked with a bit of frustration as every Fabio radiated a light blue shield that encircled each as a pinkish-purple aura surrounded Luna, and she fired a beam of energy, splitting the damage by sweeping through the illusions.

Fabio was glowing white; his speed increased again, jumping out of the beam’s path.

Blue chuckled.

“Is that what you think?  Katelin’s playing this right, well... sort of.  Sabin’s clearly given his Mismagius several pointers, but it’s playing far too skittish.  Of course, it has a Timid Nature, and I can understand why it would be like that on Mt. Silver, but that hurts it in battles.”

“Timid?  I guess she is keeping its distance, but she’s launching off attacks like crazy,” Jason moaned as Luna vanished, appearing before Fabio; a burst of ghostly energy released from Luna before she faded out, rematerializing further away while dancing back.

Fabio didn’t even flinch from the surprise attack.

“Ugh, you’ve done pretty well on Fabio, Kate…”  Sabin muttered.  “Watch out, Luna.  He’s nearly caught up to your speed, and that blue shell means Confuse Ray won’t work.  Focus on putting pressure on him while making yourself a threat!”

He can just give those orders through his connection to her, right?  Oh... he’s trying to help me understand the match.

“Mmh, those Shadow Balls should be used at closer range, even if it’s risky, it’s only wasting energy from that distance,” Blue mused.  “Even if Ampharos is extremely slow at gathering its energy, a well-trained one can maximize its opportunity, and Luna is used to Wild Pokémon combat, not experienced professional arena tactics.”

“What do you mean?”  Rhea mumbled, following Fabio perform graceful leaps while dodging Luna’s much faster attacks like it was dancing.

“Fabio is much slower, but can predict the direction of the attack... not the Move Detect, but just from his experience.  Luna still has the Wild Pokémon mentality; if she’s losing, she can just run away, but that’s not an option in a battle.

“Oof, another Astonish?  Fabio isn’t even flinching, too; it may cause a bit of damage, but negligible with Luna’s low Physical-Attack Stat.  Although it’s an easy Move to land, it doesn’t actually close the distance like Sucker Punch for a follow-up, but is he... hehe, it’s risky with a relatively unsynchronized Pokémon, but if Luna can time it on her own... no, it might be her only option.”

 Rhea had no idea what Blue was talking about as Fabio continued to buff himself wherever given a slight opportunity while dodging Luna’s Shadow Balls, riddling the field with holes.  A few snarky shouts by the Mega Ampharos created a twinkling light around the ghost, making the Mismagius wince, and Rhea frowned as Luna’s strength diminished.

“Confide,” Blue mumbled with a shake of his head.

Did I screw Sabin over by…  Her thought trailed off as she noticed Katelin, breathing heavily but still managing to smile.

“Not lookin’ good, Kate,” Sabin called out.  “You normally save Fabio for a powerful sweep, but the bulk play?  Mega Evolution is a heavy drain on the spiritual Allocation of your Fortitude.”

“Keep sayin’ that,”' Kate chuckled, sounding a bit breathless.  “We’ll win in the end; you know it’s almost over!  Luna’s locked out of Status Moves, lowered Special Attack, Fabio’s quickly closing the speed gap, and she just doesn’t have the... wait…”

“Here we go,” Blue said with anticipation.

Luna had stopped midair, allowing Fabio to create a layer of screens in front of him and release a massive discharge of electricity that sparked around him in a sparking shield.

“Magnetic Flux, good choice when unsure,” Blue whispered, “but this is only the setup, and not many Ghosts know that Move at the level they’re at.”

What’s she doing?

“She’s just sitting there?”  Jason mumbled.

Fabio sent a bolt of electricity out at the stationary Luna, causing Rhea’s stomach to tighten, but her eyebrows rose as the bolt struck and popped like a balloon.

“Substitute?”  Katelin mumbled in shock.

Fabio’s shadow rippled as Luna jumped out, small fist aiming for his back; a transparent shell appeared around his body.

“Protect…”  Jason’s cheer died as Luna’s shadowy form passed right through the bubble, landing a clean hit that made Fabio wince, stumbling forward.

However, unlike before, Luna didn’t fall back, and Rhea felt a heavy burst of energy radiate from the ghost; the shadowy whisps solidified into the Mismagius, a purple aura surrounding her as she held up her sheet-like hands, creating a waxy seal in the air.

Rhea’s conversation with her brother earlier popped into focus.  “Imprison!”  she cried with anticipation.  “Mismagius can use Imprison!”

“Huh?”  Jason asked, eyes going wide as he watched.

Thrown off-balance, there was no way Fabio could dodge it; the hovering ghost darted the short distance between them to place the seal, planting the mark on his back.  However, just like Luna, Fabio popped like a balloon, reappearing a few feet away, repositioning himself.

Jason pumped his arms.  “Yes!  Counter Substitute!”

Blue, on the other hand, popped his tongue with disappointment.  “Oof... massive mistake; that could be it.”

Rhea saw Fabio breathe out a few heavy pants; he’d obviously taken a lot of damage from that exchange, and she noticed the seal on his shoulder.  He breathed in deeply before releasing a roar that made Rhea wince, and Luna teetered in the air as the white waves struck her.

A stream of electricity erupted around Fabio, making Rhea’s eyes snap to him as crackling energy coursed through his fur, striking a pose while releasing a vicious cheer.

Rhea tensed, stomach churning; Fabio and Katelin channeled a ton of focused energy into this attack.

“Shoot,” Sabin muttered.  “Protect!  Protect, Luna!”

Luna blinked a few times, and out of nowhere did a flip in the air, making Rhea wince.

A flash in the sky made Rhea’s eyes snap shut as a colossal bolt of lightning appeared above, streaking across the heavens to strike Luna; the ghost was still spinning around in the air as if in a daze.

Heat rushed past Rhea’s skin as hot wind gushed past her, whipping her dress against her body; a roaring rumble rippled through her frame as the thunder struck, dropping to her knees in astonishment.

Arcs of electricity sparked around Luna, lying motionless on the ground.  Fabio’s glorious locks were gone, breathing heavily as he sat on his butt; Katelin looked pretty worn out, too.

“Kate’s the winner!”  Annila called out with a proud smile.

Sabin didn’t seem drained at all, pulling out Luna’s pokéball and returning her to it with a fond smile.  “You did better than you think, Luna... get some rest, and we’ll get you fixed up soon.”

Rhea breathed out a long sigh as the power released from the climax ended, Jason sitting on his butt beside her.  Her skin prickled from Fabio’s Thunder.

He whistled, giving a small huff.  “Man, Kate went all out!”

Blue laughed softly.  “Substitute doesn’t work against Imprison.  Your sister’s Ampharos basically attacked himself; the Substitute may be a proxy to take your damage, but it’s still linked to your Pokémon, which means the seal just transferred over.

“Although, it’s understandable why Fabio used it; he didn’t have many options, and it’s such a scarce Move outside Master-tier to prepare for, but they are getting to that point.  It’s a game-changing move; still, it didn’t have as big of an effect as it could have since Luna is so new to Sabin’s team and doesn’t have many TM Moves.

“Kate was running out of time on her Mega Evolution, too, making her go for the big Move to end it in one shot since Luna only took Substitute damage that entire match.”

Rhea watched Sabin walk across the blasted field, being careful to avoid the pits and fires Reon was putting out as Blue explained.

“Great battle, Kate,” he grinned.

Katelin’s brow was a bit sticky with sweat as she chuckled, allowing her boyfriend to help her up before throwing her arms around his neck and pulling him down to kiss his lips.

Annila was cooing, still snapping pictures.

A lump dropped down Katelin’s throat as she composed herself.  “Oof... Babe, you made me work for those pictures!  Ew... now I’m all gross,” she groaned.

Sabin's arms tightened around her waist and neck, pulling her back in as she pulled away.  “What, you think I’m put off by a sweaty woman?”  he asked, leaning in to kiss her again.

Rhea tried to distract herself by listening to Blue but couldn’t help but blush after hearing Katelin’s girly giggle as she tackled him to the ground.

“You better not be!”

Blue was studying the battlefield; Fabio was on his back, sprawled out while calming down.  “Honestly, the Mega Evolution was the first mistake, but I understand the desire to show off,” he chuckled.  “It’s somethin’ I’d do.

“Fabio had a larger Move pool and experience with it, if he’d played to his bulky characteristics, and if he’d managed to get max-speed with one more Agility, then it would have been as good as over, but it’s hard gathering the necessary energy for a max-stat increase.”

The Legendary-tier Trainer folded his arms across his muscular chest.  “Luna was a bit too passive but executed that combo beautifully, especially for being wild not too long ago.  No, I can see her becoming a staple for Sabin, which is why he’s running around with her; she requires a lot of special attention.”

Jason’s lips pulled in while eyeing Fabio.  “Were there really that many mistakes in that battle?  I mean, they’re Platinum-tier Trainers.”

Blue shook his head with a rueful smile.  “You’d be shocked how often battles are decided by simple mistakes.  What’s the difference between a Master-tier and Champion-tier Trainer?  Want to know my opinion on the matter?”  he asked with a bright expression, dark glasses reflecting their furrowed faces.

“Uh, yeah!”  Jason urged.

Rhea just wanted a distraction from Katelin and Sabin’s soft postbattle love chat while Annila snapped away, Reon checking up on Fabio as they bro-ed out.

“A low-end Champion-tier Trainer will have taught his Pokémon where to be and when to use which Moves at all times, understand Type match-ups to every known Pokémon and what to do in case they are unaware.

“The Pokémon will be able to tell their own strength compared to another; it’s vital to know where you’re outclassed and how to handle it under pressure.  You must take into account environmental factors that affect Pokémon, reassure your Pokémon through your connection to them, and convey how to break the opponent’s composure.

“Multi and Full-Team Battles are where it’s at, though, if you really want to feel your body shake and get the full scope of your capabilities.  Team management and a designated support or coordination Pokémon to help direct things while you manage how much energy each Pokémon gets and where it’s placed in attacks within microseconds.

“Micro knowledge, macro knowledge of Moves, possible Moves learned, and how they can be combined... there’s a reason why Champion-tier Trainers are considered an army of Trainers unto themselves.  It’s more than just a boat-load of Fortitude, but few Trainers will put in that kind of effort.

“Many Gold to Master-tier Trainers get trapped there because they focus too heavily on a ton of Pokémon, spreading out their time and synchronization to many they’ll rarely ever use in combat, and for the most part, cannot be used in the areas they find themselves.  I get that not every Master wants to reach higher, though.”

Jason was nodding while likely logging every piece of information, but Rhea had a question.

“Uh... don’t you, my aunt, and other Legendary-tier Trainers have a ton of Pokémon?”

“Eh,” Blue scratched the back of his neck with a smile.  “Yes, and no.  We have a primary team that far outstrips any Pokémon we have, but occasionally swap out one, giving the stronger ones a rest while providing the opportunity for another to reach their potential.

“You’d be shocked, but there are many wild Pokémon that long to have a strong Trainer to reach up as strong as they can get.  Pokémon have an innate urge to get stronger, and a Trainer adds such a huge advantage, and they can sense it.  Why do you think they willingly fuse with Trainers through pokéballs?

“All a pokéball does is allow a Pokémon the opportunity to bond with a Trainer, but that doesn’t mean the Pokémon will want you as a Trainer.”  He chuckled sheepishly.  “It’s kind of a brutal way to think about it, but if a Pokémon doesn’t get into a pokéball, then they’re rejecting you for some reason.  Of course, it’s the same in the reverse; a Trainer isn’t going to go out trying to catch every Pokémon they see... Pokémon are expensive to keep, dozens of mouths to feed and spread out your time with.

“Pokémon want you to battle them to prove that you can bring them to new heights; Trainers want a Pokémon that’s not afraid of combat.  Out there, the world for wild Pokémon is not pretty, and there’s a hierarchy within each area, then those areas battling other areas for wider territory; the Wild is very competitive for Pokémon.

“You could also say a Trainer expands that small territorial dispute to a much larger field, and that excites Pokémon; they can prove themselves on a grander stage.

“Some people think Pokémon are stupid,” he rolled his eyes, “joining organizations because they think they know better than Pokémon, like Plasma... narcissistic, isn’t it?  They’d rather take away a Pokémon’s right to choose and harm the Pokémon by trying to break that bond.

“Of course, they also have the animals over the Pokémon activist branch... yeah, there are so many inconsistencies with Plasma.  I just feel bad for those Pokémon and Trainers that get sucked in by their lies.”

Feeling a little bored about the topic, Plasma, Galactic, and other terrorist organizations had been all over the news with several other unethical groups over the years that Rhea had been more or less desensitized to the discussion, especially since terrorism was such a big talking point in the village.

“Okay,” Rhea absently replied, brushing back her hair, “but what about people that don’t want to be Battle-trainers?  Will those Pokémon feel mad if the Trainer doesn’t battle to make them stronger?”

“Not necessarily,” Blue shrugged, glancing over at the couple with a soft smile.  “It’s true, Pokémon generally enjoy the competition and challenge of battling, but they also might enjoy the leisurely life a human can provide.  Just as there are many types of humans, there are many types of Pokémon that want different things when you come down to it, but a Pokémon will choose its Trainer, and a Trainer will choose its Pokémon, period.

“You know Pokemon can jump out of their pokeballs whenever they want; it’s not like they’re slaves.  Pokemon literally bond with their Trainers, which is very attractive to many of them; as has been proven, who would want to be bonded with a wimp?  Do you want a weak Pokemon?”

Jason chuckled.  “I get your point, but I mean, my sister’s caught Pokémon because she thinks they’re cute, and a Trainer can only have six Pokémon out at a time because of the spiritual link.”

“Yet, Pokémon that aren’t bound to their balls stay in them,” Blue commented with a smile.  “If Pokémon wanted to punish their Trainers, then they could force their capsule open and spiritually harm the Trainer, but they don’t.

“Well, there was the occasional incident like that in the past,” he muttered, scratching his cheek, “but that basically stopped once Silph Co’s first groundbreaking product, the PokéSimulator.  It’s the reason why Pokémon are placed in your own private PC Box.  A Pokémon hooked up to the system is given its own personal space to chill and hang out with other Pokémon that are linked with you, all without harming the Trainer.

“It’s not as bad as Galactic or Plasma tries to paint it; Pokémon mostly live in a harsh world that will more likely than not kill them in the wild, or they can be in a chill place without any predators, food, giving them a break between Training in regulated matches that allows them to grow without so many risks.  It’s just a no-brainer for Pokémon!

“Plus, if they don’t want to battle, but like you said, your sister catches them, she and her Pokémon are still fronting the bill for their happy and safe life.”

They turned around as her Aunt Cynthia and Dad appeared from further inside the forest.  

“Giving my niece a lecture on Pokémon Ethics 101, Blue?”  Cynthia asked with a slight shake of her head.

“A lot more than that,” Rhea responded before Blue.  “We’ve been bouncing between topics like crazy.”

“Only a few,” Blue chuckled with a light grin.  “You guys catch the fight?”

“Most of it,” her dad replied, glancing over at the pair as Katelin’s mom guided them to different areas to make the best use of the light.  “A Ghost-type... I don’t think I’ve sensed my son with that particular Pokémon’s energy…”

“Mismagius,” Blue responded.

Her aunt nodded with a sly grin.  “Figured.  A strong little thing by the feel of it; probably from his Mt. Silver trip.  Boy or girl?”

“Girl,” Rhea promptly replied.  “Luna.  Eh, Blue told me,” she mumbled upon their questioning eyebrows.

“Oh, sorry,” her father chuckled, “I was just a little shocked you’d learned how to tell so quickly!”

The rest of the time was spent with light banter between the three adults until they turned their attention to the photoshoot, eventually getting roped in.  Fabio had recovered enough to insert himself into the pictures with Katelin, striking different poses for every one as if it was born for the camera.

Rhea managed to get many photos with just her family, Katelin’s mom swapping options on her camera to easily and instantly send them to each person.

Returning home, Rhea HoloTimed Bianca as she began her cooking session, and her cousin gave a squeal upon seeing her mother’s smiling face.

To everyone’s surprise, Cynthia bustled everyone but Rhea out of the kitchen, putting on her sister’s rarely used apron with a confident grin.  “Alright, girls, let’s get down to it.  Honey, tell me everything you’ve got in the pantry, and we’ll whip up something Hilbert will faint over!”

“Mom!”  Bianca cried.  “Teach me!”

After going through Bianca’s kitchen, Cynthia’s confident aura made Rhea stare in awe.  “Alright... Alolan pineapple chili, Kanto sweet bread, and lemon drizzle cake for dessert; let’s get cookin’, girls!”

Rhea hadn’t had more fun since the last holiday, laughing with her cousin and aunt while Blue, her father, Katelin, Jason, Annila, and Kent, her husband, joined them for dinner.

Sabin wore a sad smile while watching Luna take his place at the table, but to everyone’s amusement, the Ghost had pity for her Trainer, bringing him half the bowl and cake but keeping the sweet bread all to herself with a low snicker.

The rest of the night was spent mingling, everyone sharing new stories about their journey, and the entire experience made Rhea more excited to have her own tales to tell; her mind returned to the near-endless experiences her grandparents shared whenever they were over.

Her mind swiftly returned to earth with Katelin’s urges to show off her eggs to her family, which Rhea was more than happy to oblige.  Katelin made a show out of it, adding her own family to the betting odds, which only increased her possible reward, but Kent knew what type it was, disqualifying Jason’s father.

Rhea felt a little nervous when her dad and aunt asked if she really wanted to make that bet, but she hesitantly doubled down on her decision to not look weak.

She was swiftly losing her edge for her brother’s girlfriend; Katelin had been really sweet today and helped her win over Sabin a couple of times.  However, the heat spiked a little when her brother snuck off to the forest to find a quiet place to dance with the blue-haired girl.

The night soon came to an end with the boys cleaning up the kitchen, making a bigger mess with a soap fight.  Her aunt clearly won when they took it to the yard, getting her involved by using a hose.  Melina, her 50' 11" Milotic was the response, soaking everyone involved while looking absolutely imperial; it was merely a Splash but could have been a Rain Storm due to how powerful she was.  Keith jokingly begged the massive Pokémon not to flood the whole mountain, which she was more than capable of.

Everyone went over their bets on her eggs before breaking off, and her aunt logged it as an official challenge before helping everyone get ready to go.

Rhea giggled, just thinking about the water fight while waving off her aunt, riding away on Esfforia, her 14' 7" Garchomp.  Just watching the terrifying spiky Pokémon made her wince just seeing her aunt climb atop Esfforia’s back, but Cynthia knew precisely where to situate herself.

It was difficult since Esfforia was so controlled and among the strongest Pokémon in existence, but Rhea could faintly sense the legendary strength tightly compressed within her aunt’s most trusted Pokémon companion that made Lila look like a child.  She’d thought it many times before; anyone who faced her aunt’s Garchomp was either insane or beyond insane.

Yet, when Blue released his 12' 9" Pidgeot, Thifo, a lump dropped down her throat.  The energy in Thifo was the same as Esfforia, which didn’t mean they were equal; it just told Rhea they were far outside her ability to read.

Waving off Jason and his family, Sabin and her dad got ready for bed.  Exiting the bathroom after her preparations, she threw her dirty clothes in the laundry basket, sighing while glancing at her backpack, already stuffed full with everything she’d need at the beginning of the week.

Tomorrow’s the big day... I’ll be off in the world on my own... well, with my Pokémon and teammates.  I just hope I get along with them... what kind of girls will they be?

Her gut tightened just thinking about it; Rhea knew they’d likely have a family member she’s heard of and possibly met.  It was usually like that, but there had been upsets that happened in the past.  Professor Oak never released the list of those accepted, which drew the media every year.

Going to her desk, she carefully removed the eggs from their containers with a smile, laying them next to her on the bed; when she was little, she was always upset watching movies with Trainers sleeping with eggs.  She thought they’d break so easily but later discovered how resilient Pokémon eggs were.

Turning off the light, she set her phone on the wireless charger by her bed, even though they had a battery life of a week and could even be recharged by electric Pokémon and solar energy.

Snuggling into bed, she worried about being too restless to fall asleep, tucking the eggs near her chest and stomach.  Situating herself on her side, she brushed her bound hair back, and despite her fears, drifted into oblivion.

---